# WMD's destroyed ten years ago, and more bad poll results for Bush on Iraq requests **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203 "2003-09-17T19:27:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/81 "2003-09-20T04:06:59Z")
You mean that with sarcasm, BeatenDam, right? ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/82 "2003-09-20T04:57:03Z")
It’s Three Stooges logic. Mo hits Larry, who hits Curly. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/83 "2003-09-20T05:27:05Z")
For all those criticizing Bush for saying there is no proof Saddam had anything to do with 9/11, can you point me to where he or his Administration said or clearly implied Saddam DID have some direct role in 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/84 "2003-09-20T05:57:44Z")
[http://billmon.org/archives/000586.html](http://billmon.org/archives/000586.html) That shows exactly why Bush said there was no proof. Cheney actually got questioned when he tried to imply the connection and so they backtracked. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/85 "2003-09-20T06:25:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BeatenDam \* > \*\*You people miss the big picture. This war on Iraq was just to show what will happen if you take a 911 cheap shot at america. sAddam had seen how bad he could hurt us with a 911 type attack and we had to make sure that he wasn’t going to try one of those cheap shots himself. Saddam became a wipping boy who deserved it for whatever reason. If we have another major terrorist attack we will just make up another lame excuse and invade another middle east county. This is called national defense. It works like this… You leave us alone and we won’t kill the rest of you. This is a time tested method that has worked great for thousands of years. And it is going to work now. \*\* Cool. The “Kill People At Random” theory. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/86 "2003-09-20T10:32:43Z")
**Airman Doors** I work for the UK government in a prison, at a low level. We are all issued with a booklet on standards of behaviour in public life, and we are all warned about proffessional standards. I would imagine you would be in a very similar situation. Part of being in a position of public trust is not only to be seen behaving in accordance with the stated policy of standards and decency whilst acting within the employed role, it also includes behaving in a way \* could be seen as, or interperted as \* being wrong. In the latter case, even though there might be no wrongdoing, it is still considered an offense against our disciplinary code to put oneself in a position that is likely to erode public trust. In my case an example might be that I associate with a known criminal, say just have a drink with him down the pub, and that could be seen as a possible compromise of my ability to work with convicted offenders in the way that the state requires me, especially when accusations are made, or things go wrong in unforseen ways. It could also mean that I exclude myself from any contractual arrangements, such as bidding for work, because a close associate is also involved in the tendering process for the contract. I am expected to have enough judgement to know what could be interpreted as being wrong by third parties. You and I work at low levels within our respective organisations, one would expect that those at or near the peak of government would understand such things better, knowing that their decisions would come under intense scrutiny. Even if the contract was awarded to Halliburton properly, it sure does not look like it, the fact that many posters here have a very differant interpretation is testament to that, and those responsible for this contract must be pretty damned stupid if they were unable to see how this could look. If such people making such important decisions are so stupid, or so arrogant that they don’t care how their behaviour appears to their electorate, they should not be in a position of trust. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/87 "2003-09-20T11:49:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BeatenDam \* > You people miss the big picture. This war on Iraq was just to show what will happen if you take a 911 cheap shot at america. sAddam had seen how bad he could hurt us with a 911 type attack and we had to make sure that he wasn’t going to try one of those cheap shots himself. Saddam became a wipping boy who deserved it for whatever reason. If we have another major terrorist attack we will just make up another lame excuse and invade another middle east county. This is called national defense. It works like this… You leave us alone and we won’t kill the rest of you. This is a time tested method that has worked great for thousands of years. And it is going to work now. Reports have been mentioned that a majority of Americans believe Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11 and many people here asked who would be so ignorant and stupid as to believe this. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you **BeatenDam**. You may now ask him questions and fight his ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/88 "2003-09-20T12:14:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BeatenDam \* > \*\*You people miss the big picture. This war on Iraq was just to show what will happen if you take a 911 cheap shot at america. sAddam had seen how bad he could hurt us with a 911 type attack and we had to make sure that he wasn’t going to try one of those cheap shots himself. Saddam became a wipping boy who deserved it for whatever reason. If we have another major terrorist attack we will just make up another lame excuse and invade another middle east county. This is called national defense. It works like this… You leave us alone and we won’t kill the rest of you. This is a time tested method that has worked great for thousands of years. And it is going to work now. \*\* That is the goofiest theory I’ve heard in a long time. You know that it is the equivalent of invading Mexico in 1942 to make sure that the Mexican government did not stage a Pearl Harbor type attack on San Antonio. As far as the administration stating expressly or implicitly that there was a connection between Sadam and 9/11 you don’t have to go any farther than the repeated pronouncements that the invasion and occupation of Iraq is central to the War on Terror™, and the Vice-presidents comment of this last week end that it is reasonable for people to think that Iraq was involved in 9/11. The ugly fact, as has been repeatedly demonstrated on these boards, is that the key figures in this Administration have long lusted after Iraq and anticipated an invasion and occupation long before 9/11 and the 2000 election. Sooner or later they were going to have an excuse. If it was not something like 9/11 on a greater of smaller scale it was going to be something on the order of the attack on the _Cole_ or the loss of aircraft patrolling the No-Fly Zones. An other ugly fact is that for the right reason or for the wrong reasons we have invaded and occupied Iraq. The pressing question now is what on earth we are going to do with it, especially in view of the fact that the Administration’s rosy prediction of universal welcome and funding from Iraqi oil have proven to be reckless wishful thinking. While damning the Administration for blithely walking into this pit is emotionally satisfying, it is not a big help in dealing with the consequences of this folly. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/89 "2003-09-20T13:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monster104 \* > \*\*For all those criticizing Bush for saying there is no proof Saddam had anything to do with 9/11, can you point me to where he or his Administration said or clearly implied Saddam DID have some direct role in 9/11? \*\* Every time he’s called Iraq part of the “war on terror” (which is almost every time he’s mentioned it at all). But he’s often been more explicit. [The first such Google hit](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/03/wbush03.xml): > [@](#): > > Mr Bush rammed home his view that the action in Iraq was only one battle in the war on terrorism. He made an explicit connection between Saddam’s regime and al-Qa’eda, an element of the justification for conflict that had been played down in previous weeks. > > “The al-Qa’eda no longer have an ally in the regime in Iraq,” he said. "Terrorists no longer have a funding source in the regime of Iraq. > > “One thing is certain: terrorists will no longer have a source of weapons of mass destruction in the regime that used to be in Iraq because the regime is no longer.” Try searching yourself, or even paying attention to some different news sources than you’re used to. It’s easy. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/90 "2003-09-20T15:44:00Z")
That whole “Bush never specifically implicated Hussein in 9-11” is a load. Of course he never actually said it in so many words, because he knew all along that it wasn’t true. Instead he insinuated Iraq’s guilt in the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington just about everytime he opened his mouth, hoping we the people would make the connection and stand behind him in his unilateral charge into Iraq. And it pretty much worked. This is from his last national speech, which he gave in order to ask congress for $87 billion to bail out the quagmire in Iraq: “Since America put out the fires of September the 11th, and mourned our dead, and went to war, history has taken a different turn. We have carried the fight to the enemy. We are rolling back the terrorist threat to civilization, not on the fringes of its influence, but at the heart of its power.” Is Bush saying that in retaliation for 9-11 we’ve gone to war and attacked the heart of the aggressor’s power in Iraq? Sure sounds like that to me … in so many words. If that’s not tacitly blaming Iraq for 9-11, I don’t know what is. And this whole ugly thing is causing backlashes all over the place. I can’t speak for everybody on my side of the argument, but I didn’t agree with America attacking Iraq unilaterally … I never claimed Saddam Hussein’s regime was a good thing. And people like Ann Coulter saying shit like “Saddam: the liberal’s favorite world leader” makes my blood boil more than anything. It’s Bush’s cowboyism that is disconcerting, not the fact that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. The ends does not justify the means. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/91 "2003-09-20T17:25:06Z")
Actually, Bush _did_ specifically implicate Saddam Hussein in 9/11. In [the letter to Congress informing them of impending war with Iraq](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030319-1.html), President Bush specifically states that the war in Iraq is an action against those who “planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001”. Pretty unambiguous, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/92 "2003-09-20T17:43:58Z")
Thanks, \*_Giraffe_. Looks like we have a winner. When do the impeachment hearings start? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/93 "2003-09-20T17:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > [http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1448394](http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1448394) > > Fears that Saddam Hussein’s regime had smallpox so far appear unfounded. > > The Associated Press has learned from senior military officers that U-S weapons hunters in Iraq have found no evidence Hussein’s regime was making or stockpiling smallpox. > > Smallpox fears were part of the case the Bush administration used to build support for invading Iraq. But a three-month search by investigators known as “Team Pox” has turned up only signs to the contrary. > > For example, Iraqi scientists who are considered credible gave no indication they had worked with smallpox – and a laboratory that was thought to have been back in use was covered in cobwebs. > > The negative smallpox findings come nearly six months after the U-S went to war to disarm Iraq of banned weapons. Saddam has long denied having such weapons and the military hasn’t been able to find any so far. Dammit! That Saddam Hussein was so deceptive! All along he was telling us he did NOT have any WMD so that we, knowing he was a liar, would believe he DID have them. . . and now it turns out he did NOT have them. What a deceptive liar. ---
**Author:** ![JDeMobray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@JDeMobray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDeMobray)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/94 "2003-09-20T18:22:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Dammit! That Saddam Hussein was so deceptive! All along he was telling us he did NOT have any WMD so that we, knowing he was a liar, would believe he DID have them. . . and now it turns out he did NOT have them. What a deceptive liar. \*\* “Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!” ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/95 "2003-09-20T18:34:47Z")
Thank you, Giraffe. That statement does indeed imply some role on the part of Iraq in 9/11, and as such, Bush saying there is no evidence of any such role in 9/11, he is admitting he was wrong about that, though it doesn’t necessarily mean he was wrong about connections to Al Qaeda and other international terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/96 "2003-09-20T18:36:09Z")
Nice runon sentence, you idiot. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/97 "2003-09-20T18:58:21Z")
Never match wits with a Cecilian when death is on the line. ---
**Author:** ![BeatenDam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@BeatenDam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeatenDam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/98 "2003-09-20T18:59:20Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* \*\*That is the goofiest theory I’ve heard in a long time. You know that it is the equivalent of invading Mexico in 1942 to make sure that the Mexican government did not stage a Pearl Harbor type attack on San Antonio. The fact is we invaded saddams country once. Anyone who thinks he would not try do get revenge and cover up trail back to him is and idiot. We go him before he got us. We had to show the middle east that if you have terrorists in you country and do nothing to stop them from comming over here. We will make up some excuse to go over to your country remove you from power blow things up and kill people. We have to let them know the cheap shot just isn’t worth it. Is this the right or fair way of doing things? No. But is works and thats all the american people care about. ---
**Author:** ![BeatenDam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@BeatenDam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeatenDam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/99 "2003-09-20T19:07:41Z")
your ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203/100 "2003-09-20T19:13:01Z")
I wonder what made you pick up and correct **that** error. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wmds-destroyed-ten-years-ago-and-more-bad-poll-results-for-bush-on-iraq-requests/202203.md?page=6)